It’s all past tense baby!

God relates to you through your identity not through your behavior. He defines your identity not you.

He says you are made in his likeness.  You were created in his image. His image of you is spotless. He sees eternity in him in your identity now. He likes you now. He liked you before he created the world. He is not wanting you to be something or do something to gain his acceptance or love. If we could do something to please him on our own merit he would not have had to send Jesus to the cross. It is a free gift given to us at the time of the cross, that’s right he did it prior to our being conceived. He forgave us and extended the gift of forgiveness and grace freely to all at the time of the cross. It is simply a matter if accepting the gift and walking into the place of sonship he has supplied.

We were created to not only be partakers of his divine nature (in fullness) in heaven but also to partake here on earth. He says who I am not me or my actions. My significance is or should not be defined by anything but the word of God.

2 Corinthians 5:16-19 TMT

16 This is radical! No label that could possibly previously define someone carries any further significance! Even our pet doctrines of Christ are redefined. Whatever we knew about him historically or sentimentallity is challenged by this conclusion.

17 In the light of your co-inclusion in his death and resurrection, whoever you thought you were before, in Christ you are a brand new person! The old ways of seeing yourself and everyone else are over. Acquaint yourself with the new!

18 To now see everything as new is to simply see what God has always known in Christ; we are not debating man’s experience, opinion, or his contribution; this is 100% God’s belief and his doing. In Jesus Christ, God exchanged equivalent value to redeem us to himself. The act of reconciliation is the mandate of our ministry.

19 our ministry declares that Jesus did not act independent of God. Christ is proof that God reconciled the total kosmos to himself. Diety and humanity embraced in Christ; the fallen state of mankind was deleted; their trespasses would no longer count against them! God has placed this message within us. He now announces his friendship with every individual from within us!

Romans 5:17-18 TMT

If death saw the gap in one sin, and grabbed the opportunity to dominate kind because I’m a one man, how much more me we now she’s the advantage to reign in righteousness in this life through that one act of Christ, who declared us innocent by His grace. Grace is out of all proportion in the superiority to the transgression.

18 The conclusion is clear: it took just one offense to condemn mankind; one act of righteousness declares the same mankind innocent.

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“You don’t have to claim another promise when you discover that the promise already claimed you! 2 Cor 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”

Francois du Toit